


raindrops on roses

by lyralabelle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Baking, Cuddling & Snuggling, Denial of Feelings, F/F, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Hotels, Kissing, Love, Romance, Sisters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29513184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyralabelle/pseuds/lyralabelle
Summary: Bellatrix’s break from work is interrupted by a very pretty, but unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	raindrops on roses

Bellatrix Black _loved_ the springtime. The rain hardly stopped falling for three months; which meant less guests to the hotel. The Moonlight Hotel was at the top of a hill, with only a very slippery, very narrow cobblestone road up to it. Yes, it was well known that the hotel was run by three beautiful and (mostly) kind sisters, but nobody was willing to risk their lives for a taste of the sisters’ hospitality. Bellatrix was grateful for the lack of guests, as it meant she had to put less time into being friendly, and more time into her hobby: painting. In fact, she was doing just that when her youngest sister barged into her room.

“Bella, sorry to interrupt your yearly hibernation-“ Andromeda chuckled, “But there is somebody - or some _thing_ \- heading up the hill at this very moment.” 

“What do you mean some thing?” Bellatrix asked, “What else could it be other than a guest?” 

“It could be a very small bear walking on it’s hind legs, or possibly a very tall cat ... also walking on it’s hind legs. I don’t know, it’s too dark to tell” 

“A small bear?” Bellatrix whispered in disbelief. She followed her sister out into the front room.

Bellatrix’s other sister, Narcissa, was peeking out of the front window. 

“Any news on our small bear?” Andromeda asked. 

“I ... don’t think it’s a small bear, Andy.” Narcissa laughed. 

“What is it then?” 

Bellatrix walked up to the window and peered out at the figure walking up the street. 

“Looks like a person to me.” Bellatrix said. The figure walked close enough to the front door to trigger the motion-sensor outdoor light. 

“Not just any person.”Narcissa said in a sing-song voice, “But a pretty brunette girl.” 

“So I was wrong? Oh, man, I was really hoping on having a nice forest creature come visit us.” Andromeda sighed. 

“Bella? You better go change, it’s a little unprofessional to greet a guest in your dressing gown.” 

“If seeing someone in a dressing gown bothers her, maybe she shouldn’t show up to my house in the middle of the night without calling first.” She rolled her eyes. 

“We run a hotel! People show up unannounced at all times of the day, everyday! They have been for twenty years!” Andromeda said.

“I know,” Bellatrix whined, “But it’s springtime! People aren’t supposed to show up when it’s raining!”

The metallic ding of the doorbell echoed through the front room, and the door was swung open to welcome the woman on the other side. 

“Excuse me? But is this the hotel run by three charming sisters?” The woman winked. 

“I like this girl, five seconds in and she’s already flirting.” Andromeda whispered loudly. 

“Charming? Nope, that’s not us, you’ve got the wrong place.” Bellatrix said flatly, ignoring Andromeda’s comment. “But I’m sure if you head back down the hill, you can find a Four Seasons or something. Maybe you’ll find the charming sisters there.” 

The woman pouted. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” 

“Well, I could be on the right side of the bed right now, but instead I have to be here.” Bellatrix mumbled. 

“Bella has woken up on the wrong side of the bed since birth.” Andromeda said.

“Not true!”

“Excuse my sisters!” Narcissa said, raising her voice over her bickering sisters. “My name is Narcissa.” 

“I’m Hermione.” 

“Andromeda!” The youngest sister yelled. “And this is Bellatrix, she hates everyone.”

“Not everyone!” Bellatrix said, loudly.

“Oh, sorry, _almost_ everyone. She doesn’t hate the models in her swimsuit magazines. Maybe if I put a bikini on, she would like me better.” Andromeda said. 

“Andy!”

“Swimsuit magazines?” Narcissa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah, I found loads of them in her bedside table, along with some-“ 

“Oookay,” Hermione said. “They were right. You guys are charming ... in a unique type of way.” 

“Sorry about that.” Narcissa said, fixing her hair, “How many nights are you staying here?”

“Um, seven if that’s alright.” 

“Yes, of course. Do you have a preference for which floor? All of our rooms are empty.” 

“Hmmm ... the top floor, if it’s possible? The windows up there are beautiful.” 

Bellatrix was using all her focus to not turn and disappear into her bedroom for a week. She had to have a guest on _her_ floor for seven days. 

“I’ll take you up there!” Narcissa said. 

“Um, actually, could Bellatrix take me up?” Hermione asked. “Uh ... are you sure you want _her_ to take you up?” Narcissa whispered. “Yup, positive!” “Come on, let’s go.” Bellatrix groaned and walked away, not checking if the woman was following her. Hermione picked up her bags and hurried after her. “Hey! Could you slow down, please?” Hermione asked, after running up the third set of stairs. “Nope, I have one walking speed.” Bellatrix said, coldly. 

“Of course you do.” Hermione mumbled. 

“What’d you say?” 

“Nothing, nothing.” 

The two walked onto the fifth floor in complete silence.

“It’s a nice hotel you have. Must be nice living here, huh?” Hermione’s eyes caught the large mahogany doors at the end of the hallway with a golden plaque that read _Bellatrix_. “Is that where you live?” 

“Yes.” She unlocked the door and pushed it open hard. “Have a lovely evening.” She said, sarcastically, before walking down to her room and slamming the door.

* * *

Bellatrix took off her dressing gown and laid against her pillows in her silk nightdress. She couldn’t get the brown-haired woman out of her head. Her soft-looking hair, beautiful eyes, and how kind she was when she spoke to everyone. Bellatrix crossed her arms and rolled over. There was something burning deep in her stomach, and she couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or lust. Hermione had interrupted a time that Bellatrix usually gets off, but she was so gorgeous, Bellatrix couldn’t be mad at her. She stared at her bedside table, at the drawer that Andromeda had - supposedly - gone through. She traced her hand down her stomach and put her fingertips under the hem of her nightdress. The large mahogany doors creaked open. Bellatrix jumped and grabbed for her dressing gown.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Hermione said, looking in horror at the open door. “I didn’t actually think it would be unlocked!” 

“No, It’s okay! How much did you see?” Bellatrix asked, her heart beating furiously. 

“I didn’t see anything!” 

“Good, good.” Bellatrix sighed. “What are you doing barging in here? Isn’t it common sense to not go into a stranger’s bedroom, or is that something that you do regularly?” As Hermione’s face fell just a little, Bellatrix regretted what she had just said. 

“Are you saying that I’m-“ Hermione asked, her voice a bit shaky. 

“No! No, that’s not ... no.” 

“Because that’s not why I’m here, you know.” 

“I didn’t think that.” 

“Good. I was just coming to ask you a question.”

“Go on.” 

“Why do you run a hotel if you hate everyone?” Hermione asked, tilting her head.

“I don’t hate everyone, my sister is dramatic.” Bellatrix said, embarassed. “As for the hotel, it was my sisters’ idea, I just went along with it.” 

“Ah. You guys seem very close.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. You can only bicker like that if you are really close with someone.” Hermione laughed. “I can tell that you love each other.” 

“Hmmm. Love is a strong word.” 

“It is. But, I can just tell. I wish I had siblings.”

“You don’t have any?”

“No, unfortunately. It’s just me. It gets a bit lonely.”

“I understand. The lonely part. But having siblings doesn’t make you feel not lonely. Sometimes it makes me feel lonelier.” Bellatrix said, sadly. 

“What do you-“

“Nevermind.”

“No, please, tell me.” Hermione took a few steps forward and sat cross-legged on the floor.

“It’s just, they’re both married, and have kids, and they don’t live here, they go home at night and come back in the morning. And I stay here, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three-hundred sixty-five days a year. Three-hundred sixty-six on leap years.” Bellatrix sighed, “I probably shouldn’t have told you that. It’s getting late, and my morals always gets foggy after midnight.” She began to get a bit shaky, the way she gets when she talks about her feelings. 

“I get it. My friends are either married or dating someone ... and I’m not. Anyways, you’re right, it is getting late.” She stood up. “Goodnight, Bellatrix.” 

“Goodnight.” 

Hermione turned to close the door. 

“One last thing.”

”Yeah?”

“Next time, lock the door when you’re having some ‘alone time’.” With that, she shut the door and her retreating footsteps echoed through down the hall. 

Bellatrix blushed profusely and buried her face it her hands. Something new burned in her stomach, something that wasn’t annoyance or lust, and something that felt comforting, like a fireplace on a snowy day.


End file.
